Middlebury student missing in Syria

Mar. 24, 2011

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Tik Root talks about his experiences in Egypt over the past week after narrowly escaping the country along with his fellow Middlebury College classmates who were studying abroad there. / RYAN MERCER, Free Press

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Middlebury College junior Pathik “Tik” Root, 21, a student of Arabic who had a tense escape from Alexandria, Egypt, amid unrest there in late January, is missing from his studies in Syria.

His father, Tom Root of Ripton, said his son last communicated with the family from Damascus on March 16.

“Others have heard from him as late as Friday morning,” he said. “He disappeared Friday afternoon some time.”

Tom Root said he had no information that his son had become involved in anti-government demonstrations in Syria, but said it would be consistent with his son’s outlook to observe what was occurring. He said the U.S. Department of State was making inquiries at the Syrian Ministry of the Interior to see if Tik Root had been detained.

“That is our scenario,” he said. “He was at a demonstration and was picked up.”

Early Wednesday, Tik Root’s Facebook page had a message to him from a friend, posted Tuesday: “Ahlan, Apparently no one has heard from you since Friday. Can you let me know that you are okay?” That message was later removed. Root’s cell phone was still operating and accepting messages, but he did not answer.

After he and his fellow Middlebury College students left Egypt, Root decided to continue his Arabic studies in Damascus because it seemed at the time to offer stability. But demonstrations against the authoritarian regime of President Bashar al-Assad have flared up in Syria since then, particularly in the city of Deraa, about 60 miles south of Damascus and close to the border with Jordan. Four protesters were killed there last Friday by security forces, and Reuters reported six more were killed in a Deraa mosque Wednesday.

“It was a surprise to him as much as anyone that it’s getting complicated,” Tom Root said, adding that his son had begun an independent study course at Damascus University last week.

Rosemary MacRay, a spokeswoman with the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, said the federal agency was aware of Root’s disappearance.

“We have a report of a missing citizen from Vermont,” MacRay said. “When we are informed a citizen may be mssing, we work with local authorities.”

She said Root’s right to privacy precluded further comment at present.

Tik Root told the Free Press in February that while in Egypt, he had joined the demonstrations there, carrying a PVC pipe at one point as Alexandria residents feared a crackdown by Egyptian police. Excerpts of Root’s video of street scenes in Alexandria are posted at burlingtonfreepress.com.

David Carle, spokesman for Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Wednesday the Vermont congressional delegation has been in touch with the State Department over the Root case.

“The U.S. Consulate in Damascus is trying to learn anything they can,” he said. “They’re using every lever available. It’s a delicate early point in this process.”

Middlebury College was terse when asked for comment.

“All of us at Middlebury College are concerned about Tik Root’s safety, Sarah Ray, the school’s director of public affairs, said in an email to the Free Press, “but we will have no further comment at this time.”

Root said in February that he planned to resume his classes at Middlebury, unless he could find another language program in the Middle East.